The 8th Conference of the Science Council of Asia (SCA ... · The 8th Conference of the Science...

The 8th Conference of

the Science Council of Asia (SCA)

PROCEEDINGS

May 28-30, 2008 Shangri-La Hotel, Qingdao, China

Organized by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Qingdao Association for Science and Technology (QDAST) Science Council of Japan (SCJ)

Proceedings of the Eighth Conference of SCA © Science Council of Asia, 2008 Published by the Science Council of Japan 7-22-34, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8555 Japan

Contents

Chairperson’s Summary ...........................................................................................3

Program ......................................................................................................................9

List of Participants ..................................................................................................13

Opening Address by President of SCA ..................................................................21

Closing Remarks by President of SCA ..................................................................25

SCA Joint Project Workshop ................................................................................. 29

Gender ................................................................................................................ 31

Water .................................................................................................................. 35

Natural Disasters ............................................................................................... 41

Ocean security in Asia ....................................................................................... 47

Honeybee ............................................................................................................ 53 Special Session ......................................................................................................... 59

Pop Culture in Asia - Comparison of Film Culture - ..................................... 61

First Strategic Plan of SCA .................................................................................... 67 The Eighth Annual Report ..................................................................................... 73 Joint Statement to the G8 on Global Development .............................................. 79 First Announcement of the 9th SCA Conference in Singapore ............................ 83

Chairperson’s Summary

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Chairperson’s Summary

The Eighth Conference of the Science Council of Asia (SCA)

May 28 – 30, 2008 Qingdao

I. Organizational Matters 1. The 8th Conference of the Science Council of Asia (SCA) was convened by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Qingdao Municipal People’s Government and the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) at Shangri-La Hotel in Qingdao, China, from May 27 to 30, 2008, on the theme “Sustainable Development on Marine Resources and Environment.” The conference was held in cooperation with the International Forum on Marine Science and Technology and Economic Development (IFMSTED) 2008 which was held during the same time at Fuxin Hotel in Qingdao. During the conference, two sessions of Management Board Meeting, two sessions of General Assembly and five SCA Joint Project Workshops, as well as the Special Session, “Pop Culture in Asia – Comparison of film Culture -” were held at Shangri-La Hotel. Only the Opening Ceremony was held at Fuxin Hotel in cooperation with IFMSTED 2008. 2. The conference was attended by ten member countries: China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. As an observer, a representative of the Pacific Science Association (PSA) participated in the conference. 3. The General Assembly and Management Board were chaired by Prof. Feng Changgen, Executive Secretary of the CAST, President of SCA (2007/2008). II. Proceedings of the Conference A. Management Board Meetings and General Assemblies [May 28, May 30] 4. The joint-statement for “Development” by NASAC (the Network of African Science Academies), IANAS (the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences) and SCA to the G8 on the role of science, technology and innovation in promoting global development was distributed.

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5. The 8th SCA Annual Report was approved. 6. Three new SCA Joint Projects were proposed and approved: “Open Data and Knowledge Environment for Innovative Research on Poverty Free and Ecosystem Protection in Asian (ODKE)” proposed by Prof. Liu Chuang (CAS) and Dr. Pakorn Apaphant (GISTDA, Thailand), “Sustainable Water Resources Management in Asia” proposed by Prof. Shinichiro Ohgaki (SCJ) and “Action Plans for Natural Disaster Mitigation” proposed by Prof. Kenji Satake (SCJ). 7. “Current Status of Korean Economy and Desirable Corporate Strategies” was presented by Dr. Dong Ki Kim, National Academy of Sciences (NAS), ROK. 8. Progress Report of “Professional Training Course and Research on Sustainability Science” was presented by Prof. Dr. Mazlin Bin Mokhtar and Dr. Ibrahim Komoo, Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Malaysia. 9. Progress Report of “Space and Lithosphere Environment Changes in Indonesia” was presented by Prof. Kiyofumi Yumoto, Science Council of Japan (SCJ). 10. First Strategic Plan Proposal of the Science Council of Asia (From the End of the 2008 Conference until the 2011 Conference) was unanimously approved. 11. It was approved that Prof. Jisnuson Svasti, President, Science Society of Thailand under the Patronage of His Majesty the King (SST) replaced Prof. Montri Chulavatnatol, Vice President, Thai Academy of Science and Technology (TAST) as Management Board member. 12. New SCA officers were elected among the members of the Management Board. Prof. Hong Wang Jin, Deputy Director of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore was elected as President and Prof. Jaime C. Montoya, President of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) was elected as Vice-President, Prof. Yoichi Muraoka, Member of the SCJ, was elected as Secretary-General / Treasurer. 13. Mr. Andrew Fun, the SCA and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, presented the draft plan of the 9th SCA Conference in Singapore

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in 2009. The proposed theme is “Grooming Scientific Talent in Asia.” The conference will be organized jointly by SCA and A*STAR from June 17 to 19, 2009. 14. It was confirmed that the Philippines would be the host country for the 10th SCA Conference in 2010 and Mongolia would be the host country for the 11th SCA Conference in 2011. B. SCA Joint Project Workshop [May 29] 15. The SCA Joint Projects which are in progress; five projects, namely, “Gender,” “Water,” “Natural Hazards,” “Ocean Security in Asia” and “Honeybees” concurrently held individual sessions during the morning and afternoon of May 29. The summaries of each session were reported at General Assembly II; Ms. Wati Hermawati from the LIPI gave a presentation on “Women, Small/Medium Scale Enterprises (SME) and ICT,” Prof. Shinichiro Ohgaki from the SCJ gave a presentation on “Sustainable Water Resources Management in Asia,” Prof. Kenji Satake from the SCJ gave a presentation on “Action Plans for Natural Disaster Mitigation,” Prof. Naoya Okuwaki from the SCJ gave a presentation on “Environmental Security of Oceans in Asia,” and Dr. Kiyoshi Kimura from the SCJ gave a presentation on “Development of Bee-keeping using Asian Honeybees.” C. Special Session [May 29] 16. Special Session: “Pop Culture in Asia – Comparison of Film Culture –” was held in the afternoon of May 29. The summary of the session was also reported at General Assembly II by Prof. Shozo Fujii from the SCJ.

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Officers

Feng Changgen (China/CAST)

Immediate Past President Secretary General

Ichiro Kanazawa(Japan/SCJ)

Member countriesChina

Liang Yingnan

India

Indonesia

Lukman Hakim

Japan

Norihisa Doi

Republic of Korea

Ho-Wang Lee Dong Ki Kim

Dai Woon Lee

Malaysia

Mohd Nordin Hasan Mazlin bin Mokhtar

Mongolia

The Philippines

Singapore

Andrew Fun

Thailand

Vietnam

Vice President/President-ElectPresident

Yoichi Muraoka

Hong Wang Jin (Singapore/A*STAR)

Hyun-Ku Rhee

Norov Altansukh

(Absent)

Jaime C. Montoya

Van Sinh Hoang Thi Bao Hoa Trieu

Thararat Supasiri

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Program

9

8th SCA Conference Program

May.27(Tue.) May.28(Wed.) May.29(Thu.) May.30(Fri.)

8:00- 8:30-8:55Registration Management Board II[Shangri-La Hotel] (MB Members only)

[China Hall 1, Shangri-La Hotel]9:00-9:30 9:00-12:00 9:00-10:30Opening Ceremony SCA Joint Project Workshop General Assembly II & Closing Ceremony

[Fuxin Hotel] * Natural Disasters (Function Room 32)9:30-12:00 * Water (Function Room 34)Major Topic Reports * Gender (Function Room 35) * Approval of the 1st Strategic Plan of the SCA

(Keynote Speech) * Honey Bee (Function Room 37) * New Officers and members of the MB

* Prof. Masahide Kaeriyama Coffee Break (Function Room 33)

* Dr. Masaru Kurihara

* Dr. Robert Mrrison, Dr. Zhendi Wang * Reconfirmation of the future conferences

* Prof. Pan Delu [Shangri-La Hotel] * Closong Remarks (SCA President)

9:30-11:45Special Reports of the IFMSTED [China Hall 1, Shangri-La Hotel]

9:30-11:45Special Reports of the IFMSTED

[Fuxin Hotel] [Fuxin Hotel] [Fuxin Hotel]

12:00-14:00 12:00-14:00 12:00-14:00

Lunch Break Lunch Break Special Lunch hosted by CAST

[Shangri-La Hotel]

13:00-17:30Special Reports of the IFMSTED

[Fuxin Hotel] [Shangri-La Hotel] [Huiquan Dynasty Hotel]14:00-15:15 14:00-17:00

Management Board I SCA Joint Project Workshop

(MB Members only) * Water (Function Room 34)

* Ocean Security

(Function Room 32)

Coffee Break (Function Room 33)

[Shangri-La Hotel]

[Ballroom 1, Shangri-La Hotel] 14:00-17:00

15:00- Pop Culture in Asia

Coffee Break - Comparison of Film Culture -

[Foyer, Shangri-La Hotel] (Function Room 35)

15:30-17:45

General Assembly I Coffee Break (Function Room 33)

* Opening Remarks (SCA President) [Shangri-La Hotel]

* Remarks (SCA Officers) 13:00-17:30* Approval of the Annual Report Special Reports of the IFMSTED

* Presentation (Dr. Dong Ki Kim, NAS, ROK)

[Fuxin Hotel]

* 1st Strategic Plan Proposal of SCA

[Ballroom 1, Shangri-La Hotel]

17:30-19:30 19:00-20:30 19:30-21:30Reception hosted by SCA

(MB members only) [China Hall 1, Shangri-La Hotel] [Ballroom 1, Shangri-La Hotel]

* Report of SCA Joint Project Workshopsand Special Session

* The 1st announcement of the 9th SCAConference in Singapore

* Approval of New SCA Joint Projects(CAST, SCJ, SCJ)

Dinner hosted byProf. Zhou, CASAcademician

Reception hosted by QingdaoMunicipal People's Government

* Current status of SCA Joint Project(LESTARI, Malaysia)

* Current status of SCA Joint Project(SCJ, Japan)

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List of Participants

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List of Participants in the 8th SCA Conference

SCA Officers

Note: * shows Management Board members. President Prof. Feng Changgen * Executive Secretary, China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Vice President/President-Elect Prof. Hong Wang Jin* Deputy Director, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAＲ) Immediate Past President Prof. Ichiro Kanazawa * President, Science Council of Japan (SCJ) Secretary General/Treasurer Prof. Yoichi Muraoka Member, Science Council of Japan (SCJ)

Member Organizations 【 Representatives】 China China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) Mr. Liang Yingnan Deputy Director General, Department of International Affairs India

Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) None

Indonesia Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Prof. Lukman Hakim Vice Chairman

Prof. Dr. Rochadi Abdulhadi Executive Secretary

Ministry of National Education None Japan Science Council of Japan (SCJ) Prof. Norihisa Doi Vice President Prof. Reiko Kuroda Associate Member

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Prof. Masahide Kaeriyama Associate Member Republic of Korea National Academy of Sciences (NAS)

Prof. Ho-Wang Lee * M ember Dr. Dong Ki Kim M ember

Dr. Sang Dai Park Member Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) Prof. Hyun-Ku Rhee President Prof. Dai Woon Lee Vice president Prof. Geun Dea Head Prof. Tae Hyun Director Malaysia Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) Prof. Mohd. Nordin Hasan * Fellow Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) None Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI) Prof. Dr. Mazlin Bin Mokhtar

D irector Dr. Ibrahim Komoo Vice Chancellor

Mongolia Mongolian Academy of Sciences (MAS) Prof. Norov Altansukh *

Vice President The Philippines National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Dr. Jaime C. Montoya* President Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC)

None Philippine Association of Marine Science (PAMS)

None

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Singapore Agency for Sciences, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Mr. Andrew Fun Head, International Relations Mr. Joshua Woo Manager, Corporate Communications

Thailand Thai Academy of Science and Technology (TAST) None Science Society of Thailand (SST) Prof. Thararat Supasiri Vice President Vietnam Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Mr. Hoang Van Sinh Deputy Director, International Cooperation Department Mr. Thi Bao Hoa Trieu Member Mr. Nguyen Huu Cu. Head Ministry of Health (MOH) None

O b s e r v e r s

International, Regional or National Organizations Pacific Science Association (PSA) Dr. Nancy Davis Lewis Secretary General

SCA Joint Project China Prof. Liu Chuang

Professor, Chinese Academy of Sciences

A/ Prof. Zhang Jian, Associate Professor, China Women’s University

Prof. Yang Luhui

Professor, Shandong University

Dr. Shi Fenglian Lecturer, Shandong University

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Prof. Wang Xiao Chang Professor, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology

Prof. Li Zifu

Professor, University of Science and Technology in Beijing Prof. Wang Hanling

Research Fellow/Professor, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Prof. Xue Guifang

Professor, Ocean University of China Prof. Tan Ken

Professor, Yunann Agricultural University India Mr. John C. DeSilva President, Center for Marine Conservation and Ocean Studies

Prof. Harsh Gupta Raja Ramanna Fellow, National Geophysical Research Institute

Indonesia Ms. Sjamsiah Achmad Senior Advisor, Gender Equity in S & T, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)

Ms. Achie Sudiarti Luhulima Senior Advisor, Gender Equity in S & T, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Ms. Wati Hermawati Senior Researcher/ Program Coordinator, RESGEST, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Dr. Neni Sintawardani Head , Bureau for Cooperation and Promotion of Science & Technology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI)

Dr. Hery Harjono Deputy Chairman for Earth Science, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Prof. Tjandara Setiadi Professor, Institute of Technology Bandung

Japan Science Council of Japan (SCJ)

P

rof. Hiroko Hara

Prof. Takako Sodei Prof. Yasuko Muramatsu Prof. Matori Yamamoto Dr. Kumiko Obino Prof. Shinichiro Ohgaki Prof. Tetsuya Kusuda Prof. Naoyuki Funamizu Prof. Kiwao Kadokami

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A/Prof. Kensuke Fukushi Prof. Kenji Satake

Prof. Hirokazu Iemura Prof. Tadao Kuribayashi

Prof. Naoya Okuwaki Prof. Atsuko Kanehara Prof. Shigeki Sakamoto Dr. Kiyoshi Kimura Dr. Mikio Yoshiyama Prof. Shozo Fujii A/Prof. Mamie Misawa

Prof. Kiyofumi Yumoto

Prof. Shuichi Iwata

R oepublic f Korea Dr. Lee Keun Gwan

Associate Professor, Seoul National University

Dr. Kim Yangsu Associate Professor, Dongguk University Malaysia Dr. Tajul Anuar Bin Jamaluddin Associate Professor, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Philippines

Prof. Carolyn Israel Sobritchea

Professor, University of the Philippines

Ms. Concepcion Garcia Ramilo Coordinator, Association for Progressive Communications Women’s

Networking Support Programme Singapore

Dr. Robert Charles Beckman Associate Professor, National University of Singapore Dr. Uganda Sze Pui Kwan Assistant Professor, Nanyang Technological University Sri Lanka Dr. Ranjith Wasantha Kumara Punchihewa Senior Lecturer, University of Ruhuna Thailand Dr. Chanpen Chanchao Assistant Professor, Chulalongkorn University Dr. Chavalit Ratanatamskul

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Associate Professor, Chulalongkorn University Dr. Chart Chiemchaisri Associate Professor, Kasetsart University U. S. A. Dr. ChenYanping Research Entomologist,

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service

CAST Secretariat China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)

Mr. Su Xiaojun Section chief Department of International Affairs

Mr. Qin Jiuyi Vice Section Chief Department of International Affairs

Ms. Yang Xi Program Manager Department of International Affairs

SCA Secretariat Science Council of Japan (SCJ)

Mr. Masatoshi Tsunaki Deputy Director-General

Ms. Hisako Yoshida Section Chief, International Affairs Division

Dr. Keiko Murata Director, International Affairs Division

Ms. Fusae Tamiya Staff, International Affairs Division

Mr. Yukihisa Kiho Counsellor, International Affairs Division

Mr. Hideyuki Sakashita Staff, International Affairs Division

Ms. Noriko Nakamura Deputy Director, International Affairs Division

Mr. Hiroyuki Iizuka Section Chief, Accounting Division

Mr. Hiroaki Hirata Section Chief, International Affairs Division

Mr. Makoto Sayaki Section Chief, Accounting Division

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Opening Address by

President of SCA

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Opening Address at

The 8th Conference of the Science Council of Asia (SCA) Good afternoon, everyone. First of all, on behalf of the organizer of the conference, China Association for Science and Technology, I’d like to extend my warmest welcome to you all to come to Qingdao, China. Since it is one of the most beautiful seashore cities which won the bid for the Olympic sailing competition, Qingdao owns its charm and attractiveness that impress people all over the world. I hope you can enjoy yourself here everyday. I wish to express my deep gratitude to the secretariat of SCA, the Science Council of Japan, for their continuous contributions to SCA. Whenever a SCA activity carries on, SCJ always works industriously to push forward it. Their efforts help to propel SCA into a more fruitful future. I also wish to give my sincere thanks to all the SCA member organizations for your endeavors in SCA activities. The SCA conference has been held successfully in 8 countries. The number of joint projects increased every year with wider range of scientific areas and more participation of experts from member organizations. We are glad to see that SCA is right on the track pursuing its goal: “sustainable development: a prosperous, harmonious, and greener Asia.” Finally, I hope that we will work together for three days to have extensive discussion and achieve our goals in the development of SCA and all of Asia. I wish we will have a successful three day meeting. Prof. Feng Changgen President, Science Council of Asia (SCA) Executive Secretary, China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)

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Closing Remarks by

President of SCA

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Closing Remarks at

The 8th Conference of the Science Council of Asia (SCA) by

Mr. Liang Yingnan, on behalf of President of SCA Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to close conference, not only the General Assembly but the whole 8th SCA conference as well. How time flies! It’s memorable of these three days with you all. In my view, this has been an extraordinary conference, extraordinary in the sense of the complexity of the issued we have been discussing, extraordinary in the wide range of views that have been heard and expressed. I believe we have achieved a great deal. I wish to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to all participants again. You raise a lot of meaningful suggestions toward the future of SCA and launch a number of joint projects that will be beneficial to all the people in the Asian. We shall not consider it a closing of a conference but a new start of SCA. I wish SCA will have a more and more brilliant future since the flight will be passed on from one country to another. It’s time for Prof. Hong Wang Jin to give his remarks. Please. Mr. Liang Yingnan Deputy Director-General, Department of International Affairs, China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)

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SCA Joint Project Workshop

These papers are translated from the papers which originally contributed to the August issue of “SCJ Forum” published by the Japan Science Support Foundation.

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Gender

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Women, Small/Medium Scale Enterprises (SME) and ICT Report

Hiroko Hara, Professor, Josai International University, Associate Member of the Science Council

of Japan

Matori Yamamoto, Professor, Hosei University, Member of the Science Council of Japan

Widely recognized need for ICT

The workshop was chaired by Professor Takako Sodei (Ochanomizu University, SCJ, Japan)

and Ms. Sjamsiah Achmad (Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia), and was organized by

Professor Hiroko Hara (Josai International University, SCJ, Japan), Professor Matori Yamamoto

(Hosei University, SCJ, Japan). Before the workshop, a tribute was first paid to those who had

lost their lives, and words of encouragement were offered to the other victims of the 2008 Sichuan

Earthquake in May. It was also pointed out that women, children and the elderly are most

vulnerable in disasters, and that the roles of women in the recovery process should be emphasized.

ICT,* which is part of the theme for this workshop, plays a considerable role in preparing

communities against the risk of disaster, and in putting the reconstruction of sustainable

communities into practice.

First, Ms. Sjamsiah Achmad presented the history of the Gender Workshop, as it is commonly

known, which is part of the Science Council of Asia (SCA) Joint Project that was officially

approved at the 5th SCA Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2005. Although the importance of the

role played by ICT in overall development has been widely acknowledged, the question of how

much ICT contributes to gender equality and the empowerment of women continues to be a

challenge. In order to address challenges of this kind, the workshop was planned on the

recognition that a new rights-based approach is needed in the areas of small and medium

enterprises (SMEs) and ICT, employing gender and livelihood perspective. Ms. Concepcion

(Chat) Garcia Ramilo (APCWNSP, Philippines), and Ms. Wati Hermawati (Indonesian Institute of

Sciences, Indonesia) and Ms. Achie S. Luhulima (Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Indonesia) gave

an overview of women ICT entrepreneurs in Asia, and made a report on specific case studies. For

instance, female entrepreneurs operating weaving enterprises in rural areas of Bhutan have

produced business plans utilizing ICT to develop and expand both domestic and international

markets. Another example in Indonesia is a virtual shop that uses the Internet to sell flowers.

Ms. Kumiko Obino (Interact Japan Inc., SCJ, Japan) has internationally expanded various activities

utilizing ICT. She has conducted business by networking with staff scattered across all parts of

the world, and has remained faithful to the concept of diversity that is free from age, race and

gender discrimination.

Professor Zhang Jian (China Women’s University, China) examined the impacts of ICT on the

lives of Chinese women, and presented this as an interim report of her ongoing research studies.

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Although Chinese women are using ICT almost as frequently as their male counterparts, female

users are susceptible to the influence of the traditional image of women on the Internet. Professor

Yang Luhui and Dr. Shi Fenglian (Shandong University, China) pointed out that, although there

has been considerable progress in the participation of Chinese women in politics and the economy

in recent years, there has instead been a sense of regression, and gender equality has not yet been

fully realized.

Resolving negative issues and promoting women’s participation

This workshop highlighted the fact that attention should also be paid to the negative impacts of

ICT on the lives of women. Ms. Hermawati and Ms. Luhulima discussed the gender gap in the

field of ICT in Indonesia. Ms. Garcia Ramilo reported on new gender gaps that are emerging in

the areas of access, knowledge and training in Internet technologies. In her capacity as a

commentator, Professor Carolyn I. Sobritchea (University of the Philippines, Philippines) identified

the negative aspects of ICT, including human trafficking, prostitution and pornography, and

pointed out that most of the victims are women and girls. She argued that measures to eliminate

these negative aspects should be taken in collaboration with governments, the international

community, the media and so forth. Professor Nancy Lewis (Pacific Science Association, USA)

commented that sustained efforts for full gender equality are still needed in Asia. Professor

Yasuko Muramatsu (Tokyo Woman’s Christian University, SCJ, Japan) commented that the

question of how to use ICT in realizing the ideas of gender and development is a challenge for us.

Thirty-five women and men from ten countries participated in the workshop, engaging in

exciting and heated discussions from various viewpoints. In conclusion, the effective use of ICT

would bring about the empowerment of women and success for new businesses, while contributing

to the revitalization of NGOs and women’s organizations. However, females, who account for the

majority of the poor in Asia, are yet to enjoy equal access to ICT. ICT also negatively influence

the lives of women, as in the perpetuation of gender stereotypes and human trafficking. Strong

expectations for the Science Council of Asia were expressed regarding its role in resolving these

issues and in promoting women’s participation in science and technology in Asia.

A workshop “Grooming Scientific Talents in Asia - a Gender Perspective” (working title) is

planned for the upcoming 9th SCA Conference to be held in Singapore.

* ICT: information and communication technology

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Water

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“Session for Sustainable Water Resources Management in Asia” Report

Shinichiro Ohgaki, Professor, The University of Tokyo, Member of the Science Council of Japan

Tetsuya Kusuda, Professor, The University of Kitakyushu, Associate Member of the Science

Council of Japan

Introduction

One of the new Science Council of Asia (SCA) Joint Projects officially approved at the 8th

SCA Conference in Qingdao was “Sustainable Water Resources Management in Asia,” which was

proposed by the Science Council of Japan. This session was designed as a session for this new SCA

Joint Project, and included the “Management of Sustainable Aquatic Environment” group, which

had been active in this designated topic. There were a total of 11 presentations and discussions.

During the first five presentations, the impacts of climate change on water resources in Asia and

the impacts of population concentration on urban areas were confirmed, and specific examples of

the latest technologies and policies were introduced, including water reuse in urban areas and

industrial wastewater treatment, which is particularly important in developing regions for the

conservation of water resources.

The last six presentations of this session are the components that make up the designated topic

“Management of Sustainable Aquatic Environment.” Information useful for individual Asian

countries was provided on safe drinking water supply systems, separated and decentralized sewage

treatment systems, and water management in river basins.

Presentation highlights

In “Water Resources Management under Climate Change and Urbanization,” Prof. Shinichiro

Ohgaki (The University of Tokyo, SCJ, Japan) first confirmed the natural and social vulnerabilities

of water resources, before introducing views on adaptation measures for climate change, and

wastewater reuse in Japan’s agricultural water and municipal water.

In “Sustainable Urban Water Management in Developing Region,” Dr. Kensuke Fukushi (The

University of Tokyo, SCJ, Japan) introduced new technologies for wastewater treatment, such as

membrane bioreactors, and he indicated the potential for building systems for the sustained

coexistence of urban and rural areas, such as reusing sludge generated by wastewater treatment in

developing countries as fertilizer and sources of energy, and reusing treated water as water for

irrigation.

In “The Application of Biological Processes in Several Industrial Wastewater in Indonesia,”

Professor Tjandra Setiadi (Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia) introduced the present state of

the aquatic environment in Indonesia, and indicated that it is important to further disseminate the

treatment of industrial wastewater. In particular, he pointed out the effectiveness of anaerobic

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biodegradation processes for industrial wastewater, and he indicated the possibilities of producing

energy using biogas.

In “Wastewater Treatment and Reuse by Submerged Membrane Bioreactor,” Dr. Chavalit

Ratanatamskul (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand) reported on the effectiveness of submerged

membrane bioreactors for wastewater produced in the textile industry (uses less space, produces

less sludge, and can achieve good quality treated water) and on the technical problems to be

resolved. He also explained the possibilities for reusing industrial wastewater.

In “Natural and Advanced Treatment Systems for Wastewater Management at Municipal Solid

Waste Disposal Sites in Developing Countries,” Dr. Chart Chiemchaisri (Kasetsart University,

Thailand) introduced his research of applying both a natural treatment system using constructed

wetlands and a high-tech membrane bioreactor to the difficult-to-process leachate from municipal

solid waste disposal plants. He also indicated the importance of selecting technologies suited to the

specific area and of optimal operation management.

In “The Supply System of Safe Drinking Water Using Nanofiltration,” Professor Kiwao

Kadokami (The University of Kitakyushu, SCJ, Japan) pointed out that, by using nanofiltration

membranes developed by him and his associates to filter raw water at a low pressure of about

0.4MPa, it is possible to supply drinking water that is both good-tasting and free from pathogenic

microorganisms.

In “Low Cost Composting Toilets for Slum Areas in Asian Countries,” Professor Naoyuki

Funamizu (Hokkaido University, SCJ, Japan) introduced the composting toilet, which, under the “3

No” motto of no collecting, no mixing and no discarding, hygienically processes raw sewage and

moreover recycles it as fertilizer. From studies of toilets set up in Changchun, Nanjing, Xi’an, it

was shown that these toilets are practicable. However, it was also pointed out that heating is

required in regions with low winter temperatures; and in some regions, systems for operational

management will also need to be established, as the role of maintaining the toilets may be tasked

entirely to the women of the house.

In “Development of Ecological Sanitation Projects in Urban Areas,” Professor Li Zifu

(University of Science and Technology Beijing, China) reported that separation toilets, which

collect feces and urine separately, and which have been adopted in Germany and Sweden, were

installed in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Village. A technique was adopted whereby, after collecting

the feces and urine separately, the feces is dehydrated, composted and turned into fertilizer; the

urine is turned directly into fertilizer; and other miscellaneous wastewater is reused following an

aerobic sewage treatment that utilizes membranes.

In “Research Activities on Sustainable Sanitation in LIPI,” Dr. Neni Sintawardani (Indonesian

Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Indonesia) reported the results of surveying the reactions of students at

an Islamic secondary school after installing integrated composting toilets that treat raw sewage. On

the whole, the toilets were favorably received by the students, and this indicated that they could be

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installed even in Islamic countries. However, instances were also reported of feelings of resistance

being exhibited based on the common practice of washing with water.

In “Design of a District Water and Wastewater System under the Concepts of DESAR

(Decentralized Sanitation and Reuse) and Water Metabolism,” Professor Wang Xiaochang (Xi’an

University of Architecture and Technology, China) expanded on the concept of decentralized

sewage treatment and reuse, and explained the proposal for a sustainable district water system

which: (a) allows for a separate collection system that can be installed in urban areas, (b) avoids the

long-distance transfer of wastewater and treated water, (c) enables treated water to be reused close

to where it originates, and (d) enables the supply of clean water, the collection and treatment of

effluent, and the reuse of treated water. Wang also introduced plans to apply this system to a new

urban area in Xi’an.

In “Difficulties in Integrated River Basin Management,” Professor Tetsuya Kusuda (The

University of Kitakyushu, SCJ, Japan) summarized the difficulties that must be overcome when

attempting to manage events related to water in an integrated manner, including the securing of

water resources in river basins, allocation, use and reuse, disaster damage prevention, ecosystem

conservation, and scenery. Kusuda also proposed specific ways of dealing with these events. In

developing countries, in almost all cases, maximizing revenue is set as a water management target

for the development of river basins, and for this reason, agricultural water is often transferred to

industrial water. It was pointed out therefore that, in addition to securing employment for the

subsequently displaced farmers and education for retraining agricultural workers into factory

workers, outlets to sell the manufactured industrial goods will inevitably need to be secured, and

the food-sufficiency ratio to be maintained will need to be clarified. Further, given that

international markets will be involved when the manufactured products are exported, since the

issue of river basins extends to other countries, close attention will need to be paid when

determining the scope of consideration.

Recommendations from the session

After hearing these presentations, at the end of the session, the recommendations of the session

were decided. These recommendations were announced on the final day of the SCA conference,

and the Joint Project made a request to the SCA member countries for comments on the

recommendations from experts in each respective country.

Following are the recommendations that were drawn up in Qingdao.

(1) Recognizing the great impact of climate change and urbanization on aquatic environment and

water resources in Asian countries, we have to design adaptation strategies in order to counter these

impacts. To this end, the following action may be taken:

a. To develop flexible water systems

b. To develop flexible scientific based actions

39

c. To make a closer collaboration between climate, hydrology, and water researchers

d. To create regional/global databases of hydrologic variables

e. To find more effective transfer of knowledge and information

(2) Recognizing the current state of urban water resources in Asian countries, the following

measures against urbanization may be taken:

a. To continue and intensify the acquisition of scientific knowledge and technological

development

b. To establish better water governance through more sensible water allocation, more efficient

water use, and demand management

c. To emphasize the development of novel approaches using leading technologies

d. To include protection policies for aquatic ecosystems and natural habitat

(3) We would like to recommend:

a. To develop technological measures against vulnerability (flood, drought, water pollution,

eco-system) in water systems as well as institutional measures on Asian situations

b. To develop and strengthen collaboration between various academic fields and international

institutions

c. To establish the network on sustainable environment and water resources management in Asia

Through the individual presentations and discussion, and through drawing up the

recommendations of the session, this session has proven to be extremely worthwhile, with the latest

information from each country on the present and future issues for water resources management in

Asia being exchanged in a detailed yet broad manner. I would like to thank the presenters and all

concerned for their cooperation. In particular, I would like to express my appreciation to Professor

Naoyuki Funamizu of Hokkaido University, Associate Professor Kensuke Fukushi of the

University of Tokyo, and researcher, Dr. Tran Viet Nga for their considerable assistance in the

preparation and running of this session.

40

Natural Disasters

41

Workshop on Natural Disasters Report

Kenji Satake, Professor, The University of Tokyo, Associate Member of the Science Council of

Japan

A topic in which Japan should take leadership

Natural disasters are a common issue shared by every Asian country. The death toll in the

cyclone that hit Myanmar on May 2-3 and in the earthquake that struck the Sichuan Province in

China on May 12 each exceeded several tens of thousands. During the 8th Science Council of Asia

(SCA) Conference, which was held in Qingdao, China, May 27-30, a proposal was put forward at

the General Assembly on May 28 to renew the Joint Project on natural disasters. On May 29, a

workshop on natural disasters was held, and the report on this workshop was made at the General

Assembly on May 30. Furthermore, the statement released by the Japan Geoscience Union on May

28 on the cyclone in Myanmar and the earthquake in China was also presented.

At the 5th SCA Conference in 2005, which was held just after the 2004 Great Sumatra

Earthquake and Indian Ocean Tsunami, a joint project on natural disasters was proposed and

approved by the SCA. In the course of this joint project, an international symposium was held in

December 2005, the discussions at this symposium were summarized and published in March 2006

in the SCA report entitled “Natural Hazard Reduction: Recommendations for International

Collaboration,” and this report was submitted at the 6th SCA Conference in 2006. Subsequently, at

the 7th SCA Conference in 2007, a workshop was held (see SCJ Forum, September 2007), focused

on “Policies for the Creation a Safe and Secure Society in the light of Increasing Natural Disasters

around the World” (see SCJ Forum, November 2007) which had been discussed the previous year

by the Special Task Committee on Disaster Mitigation under Global Changes of Natural and Social

Environment in the Science Council of Japan.

Given that natural disasters are an important topic for which Japan should take leadership at the

Science Council of Asia, during the 8th Conference, Action Plans for Natural Disaster Mitigation

was proposed as a new joint project, and a workshop was held. During the workshop, topics were

presented by five participants from Japan, India, Indonesia and Malaysia, and discussions were held,

primarily on policy recommendations. In addition to the above countries, there were also

participants from such countries as the Philippines, Mongolia and Vietnam, but unfortunately, there

were no local participants from China as they were busy responding to the earthquake in Sichuan.

During the workshop, first, Dr. Hirokazu Iemura (Kinki Polytechnic College, Professor

Emeritus at Kyoto University, SCJ, Japan) reported that he had conducted damage survey and

questionnaire following the 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami, and that his

recommendations included the development of a tsunami warning system, coastal design for the

prevention of tsunami damage, establishment of a center for research into tsunami disasters,

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establishment of a museum or resource center on earthquakes and tsunami, establishment of

memorial poles showing the heights of tsunami, and international collaboration. Dr. Iemura

conveyed that many of these recommendations were already being implemented in Indonesia

thanks to the cooperation provided by various countries of the world. Furthermore, he also made a

number of general recommendations for mitigating the damage caused by earthquakes, including

the development of a global-scale disaster monitoring system, the estimation and mapping of

hazards and risks, and the acceptance of structural design standards based on required performance.

Professor Harsh Gupta (National Geophysical Research Institute, India) recommended the

following as being necessary to mitigate the damage caused by earthquakes: introduction and

enhancement of seismographs and GPS monitoring networks, establishment of damage projections

and architectural standards, continuation and expansion of the Global Seismic Hazard Assessment

Program (GSHAP) which was implemented during the 1990s, seismic retrofitting of houses,

earthquake evacuation drills, and the adoption of tsunami warning systems. Professor Gupta also

presented a number of successful examples, including research in India on reservoir triggered

earthquakes, and cyclone warning and evacuation systems.

On the topic of building a society resilient to disasters, Dr. Hery Harjono (Indonesian Institute

of Sciences) emphasized the importance of transferring scientific results to society, and his

recommendations included: the promotion of research on natural disasters, informing scientific

research results to policy makers, public education and community preparedness for disasters,

appealing to private enterprises (insurance industry, etc.) for cooperation, and international

collaboration. Dr. Harjono also reported that a tsunami warning system based on the Indonesian

Meteorological and Geophysical Agency’s seismic network will begin operating in November, and

that community religious leaders play a significant role in disaster prevention education in local

communities in Indonesia.

Dr. Tajul Anuar Bin Jamaluddin (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) introduced Malaysia’s

policies and implementation programs for the mitigation of tsunami disasters, and listed a number

of more general recommendations, including: the improvement of knowledge on geohazards

(earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, etc.), the enhancement of disaster awareness and

responsive capacity, coordination in various fields and at various levels, and preparedness. It used

to be thought that natural disasters did not strike in Malaysia, but that perception changed with the

2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake. Dr. Jamaluddin described the efforts to propose and realize

policies in response to this. Finally, Professor Kenji Satake (Earthquake Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, SCJ, Japan) used real examples, such as the 2004 Asian Tsunami and the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, to discuss the importance of: continuing and developing basic observation, investigation and research; interdisciplinary collaboration, such as between the fields of physical science, engineering, the humanities and social science;

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international collaboration; the exchange of views between scientists and policymakers; and the

publicizing of scientific results to the general public.

Action plans for the reduction of earthquake and tsunami hazards

Based on these presented topics and discussions, the following measures were given as action

plans for mitigating earthquake and tsunami disasters in Asia:

1. Strive for the early detection of earthquake, tsunami warnings, and the early estimation of

earthquake damage, through the establishment and maintenance of seismic and geodetic monitoring

networks.

2. Assess future seismic hazards and risks, reflect these in damage scenarios, urban planning and

damage mitigation, and promote earthquake insurance.

3. Establish the multilevel seismic performance required for structures (including the effects of

long-period motion on high-rise buildings), introduce new earthquake standards based on this,

foster social consensus for complying with these standards, and seismically retrofit any existing

unqualified structures as quickly as possible.

4. In terms of preparation for disasters, conduct education and emergency drills for residents,

enhance science education, clarify the division of roles and cooperation among national and local

governments, communities and NGOs, and strengthen lines of communication between these

relevant groups.

5. In terms of basic research, estimate long-term seismic probabilities based on the development of

paleoseismology, conduct research for short-term predictions, and promote multidisciplinary and

interdisciplinary research.

6. Further promote international collaboration and information exchange.

Participants will be assigned to write up the details for each of these measures, and these will be

compiled prior to the 9th SCA Conference in 2009.

45

Ocean security in Asia

47

“Ocean security in Asia” Report

Tadao Kuribayashi, Professor Emeritus, Keio University, Associate Member of the Science

Council of Japan

Naoya Okuwaki, Professor, The University of Tokyo, Associate Member of the Science Council of

Japan

Project purpose

The concept of “ocean security” as used in this workshop is not confined to “security” in its

traditional sense. It also encompasses much broader issues, such as the sustainable use and

conservation of ocean resources, the protection and conservation of the marine environment, the

safety of ship navigation and associated support, the acquisition of the best marine scientific

knowledge, the dissemination and promotion of marine education, and the prevention of piracy,

maritime terrorism and other crimes on the sea, etc. Security in this sense aims to realize “good

ocean governance” for the purposes, including such elements as sustainability and optimal use of

the ocean, integrated and eco-system based ocean management and international cooperation

measures. Through the adoption of the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) system, the

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which took effect in 1994,

overcame the former dualism of the high seas and territorial waters, and it established sovereign

rights of coastal states and strengthened the exclusive jurisdiction with respect to vast waters, but,

at the same time, it expanded and enhanced the responsibilities of coastal states with respect to their

use of the ocean.

Establishing frameworks of international collaboration in every ocean related matter and

problem area is essential for coastal states to fulfill these responsibilities in Asian seas. This is for a

number of reasons. First, Asian seas have, geographically, a characteristic as a “semi-enclosed

seas,” and, they have an extremely close connectiion and nity, including for living and other

resources that are present; Notwithstanding, it is also the legal fact that they are divided articicially

by maritime boundaries which make the Asian seas as the patchwork of jurisdictions of coastal

states. Second, Asian seas are intimately connected with the lives of the people living on land

territories of coastal states, and so the issues of conservation of marine resources and protection of

marine environment directly affect the domestic governance of those states. Third, ensuring the

safety of ship navigation has urgent importance, economically, politically and otherwise, for all

coastal states, but such navigation may sometimes pose various risks to the states facing Asian seas,

especially the coastal states. Fourth, in cases where a coastal state does not have sufficient capacity

to enforce the law at sea, the safety of ship navigation is undermined by maritime crime conducted

in coastal waters, which may cause significant risk for coastal and other states in conserving and

protecting living resoureces and environment.

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Based on a fundamental recognition of the above, the aim of this project is to promote

international collaboration for the purpose of acknowledging Asian seas as “seas of peace and

cooperation”; and as such, views have been continuously exchanged, primarily between researchers

from various coastal states who specialize in the laws of the sea and in ocean policy. In particular,

this project aims to create a shared awareness of the issues that are currently occurring in Asian

seas, to discuss the direction in which the problems should be, or need to be, resolved, and for

participants to return to their own countries with this information, and to link it to the creation of

political will among the law-makers, government officials and peoples in the public.

As far as Japan is concerned, last year, the Basic Act on Oceans Policy was enacted, and based

on this, the Basic Plan on Ocean Policy was formulated. The “comprehensive and general

governance of the oceans,” which cuts across various government branches and agencies, has been

centrally incorporated into this plan. Further, it could be argued that, as a backstay for this

governance, in order to achieve this in Asian seas, it will become increasingly more important to

build systems of collaboration between researchers in the laws of the sea and in the ocean policies

of Asian coastal states.

Outcomes of the workshop in Qingdao

The focus of workshop in this session was on the issue of “Building Cooperative Scheme for

the Protection of Environment in Asian Seas.” At the outset, there was an explanation by the

chairman, Professor Tadao Kuribayashi (Keio University, SCJ, Japan), on the objectives of this

workshop. This was followed in the first half by general discussion, and in the second half, by

discussion on the progress of cooperative schemes in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore and in

the South China Sea. First, Professor Atsuko Kanehara (Rikkyo University, SCJ, Japan) pointed to

the recent change in the primacy of flag-state jurisdiction, and indicated the importance of moving

forward with the building of cooperation schemes while cautiously ensuring their compatibility

with the laws of the sea and the UNCLOS frameworks (“Environmental Protection of the Ocean

and Flag-state Jurisdiction”). Next, Professor Hanling Wang (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

presented a report that emphasizes the need for adopting an ecosystem-based approach to ocean

management into international law (“Ecosystem-based Management of the Oceans and

International Law”). Professor Keun-Gwan Lee (Seoul National University, Republic of Korea)

provided comments on both reports, and stressed the need of replacing the principle of “freedom of

the high seas” into the principle of “fair and equitable use of the high seas.” During the second half

of the workshop, to begin with, Professor Robert Beckman (National University of Singapore)

illustrated the efforts achieved thusfar for environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and

Singapore, and described the construction of cooperative schemes between the littoral states and

Japan, China and the Republic of Korea, in particular with regard to navigation support facilities

(“International Cooperation to Enhance Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and

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Singapore”). Commenting on Professor Beckman’s presentation, Professor Shigeki Sakamoto

(Kobe University, SCJ, Japan) raised arguments regarding the details of the obligation for

cooperation between littoral states and user states under the UNCLOS regime governing

international straits. Next, Professor Guifang Xue (Ocean University of Qingdao) (“Environmental

Challenge in Maritime Transport of the South China Sea”) and Dr. John C. DeSilva (Centre for

Marine Conservation and Ocean Studies, India) (“Conflict Management and Environmental

Cooperation in the South China Sea”) each reported on the environmental protection and

navigational issues in the South China Sea. Their discussions included the importance of

establishing cross-border points of view and the establishment of responsible shipping in the

implementation of multilateral treaties on the marine environment. Finally, Professor Naoya

Okuwaki (The University of Tokyo, SCJ, Japan) pulled together the above discussions. He

suggested that, because problems of marine environment concern both the use of territorial waters

and human activiteis on land (for example, land-based pollution, the issues of invasive species are

caused mostly by importing of live marine products, and piracy (armed robbery at sea) has some

important relations to the vulnerable public order of littoral states, etc.), when building

marine-related cooperative schemes, we need to proceed with utmost caution to coordinate the

maritime jurisdictions of coastal states with domestic jurisdictions as an integral part of the

sovereignty of those states. At the same time, he evaluated the building of cooperative schemes in

the Straits of Malacca and Singapore and in the South China Sea, and the consensus for conflict

avoidance mechanisms as a first step in confidence-building that will enable cooperative schemes

based on an integrated land-sea perspective.

Looking to the future

This project has provided an opportunity for experts in the law of the sea and ocean policy to

exchange views and ideas on a regular basis for the purpose of establishing “ocean security in

Asia” while focusing on the hot issues regarding the Asian seas. At first, Professor Kuribayashi

strived singlehandedly, indicating that the activities of the Science Council of Asia also cover the

fields of social science, and in particular, international law aspects. Then, at the 7th SCA

Conference in Okinawa (2007) and the 8th SCA Conference in Qingdao (2008), we were able to

secure a small number of participants from Japan and five participants from other Asian countries.

Had the quota of foreign invitees been indicated a little earlier, we could have been able to invite

more participants from other countries, such as Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Advancing education and research in this field through exchange with young researchers in

international and law of the sea wherever the workshop is being hosted is another objectives of this

project. And so it is also unfortunate that we were unable to invite a few graduate students from the

Ocean University of Qingdao due to the heightened security on account of the President of the

Republic of Korea happening to be staying at the same hotel as the venue for our workshop.

51

Honeybee

53

“Utilizing honeybee genetic resources in Asia: Honeybee workshop” Report

Kiyoshi Kimura, Senior Researcher, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization,

Associate Member of the Science Council of Japan

Mikio Yoshiyama, Researcher, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Associate

Member of the Science Council of Japan

Background

Apiculture not only provides an important sweetening agent in the way of honey, it also plays

an important role of pollination. In the United States alone, pollination of agricultural produce by

honeybees is estimated to be worth 14.6 billion dollars. Most crop production in the US is reliant

on honeybee pollination, and so the phenomenon which occurred in 2006, where honeybee colonies

suddenly disappeared (colony collapse disorder (CCD)), has nearly driven the US into a panic.

Apart from just the agricultural sector, honeybees are also known as being the most important

carriers of pollen in ecosystems. On the other hand, honeybees are exploited in foraging for nectar

and pollinating crops, and the fact is that most honeybees are under a lot of stress. For this reason, it

is purported that, if production systems are continued as they are, then disease will cause honeybee

colonies to decline by 35% worldwide. Therefore, conquering bee diseases is an issue of the

highest order that needs to be resolved, not only for apiculture, but also for world agriculture.

Based on this importance, honeybees were selected to be the subject of a genome project, and

their entire base sequence was decoded in 2005. Honeybees were the third insect to be decoded,

behind fruit fly and the malaria mosquito, and the project truly demonstrates just how important

honeybees are. This complete base sequence has given honeybee researchers an invaluable tool.

Understanding the resistance gene cluster is particularly crucial in conquering a disease, and so this

tool has enabled a large number of gene sequences to be defined relatively simply.

Apis cerana (Asian honeybee) can be found in various parts of Asia. Compared to Apis mellifera (European honeybee), which is commonly used in beekeeping, the ability of Apis cerana to produce honey is by no means as great, but it does have many advantages. In particular, Apis cerana is resistant to a number of diseases, and compared to Apis mellifera, it is gentler and hardly ever causes sting injuries. On account of these characteristics, there has long been a desire to transfer the useful traits of Apis cerana to Apis mellifera, and even now, Apis cerana is highly valued as a genetic resource of the future. Unfortunately, though, these two species are reproductively isolated, and there has been little light shed on the genetic background for controlling these traits. Nevertheless, the genome project has made gene expression analysis for Apis mellifera easier, and using that information, gene expression analysis for Apis cerana is now also possible. Using the traits of Apis

55

cerana to improve Apis mellifera has also moved from the realm of impossibility. Project purpose A number of groups have begun analyzing Apis cerana genes using the genetic information of Apis mellifera. However each of the groups is independent, and their objectives are not necessarily the same. Thus, our plan was for each of the groups to collaborate, to assign the research, and to conduct expression analyses of Apis cerana in a comprehensive manner. The ultimate objective is to share the information that is derived and to build an effective database. In order to achieve this objective, we applied for honeybee research to become an SCA Joint Project, and it was officially approved as one at the 7th SCA Conference in Okinawa, Japan in 2007.

Workshop report This session was the first opportunity to hold a workshop since participating in the joint project. As such, we took the opportunity to summarize the current problems concerning Apis mellifera, to have respective experts make presentations on the differences between Apis cerana and Apis mellifera and on the advantages of Apis cerana, and to share a common understanding. 1. Dr. Kiyoshi Kimura (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, SCJ, Japan) presented a summary of the joint project. In particular, he emphasized how important the cooperation between Asian countries is for promoting the project. 2. Dr. Ranjith Wasantha Kumara Punchihewa (University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka) summarized the merits of Apis cerana. In particular, he explained how profitable beekeeping is for farmers in developing countries like Sri Lanka as a means of earning a secondary cash income. He also outlined the advantages of Apis cerana over Apis mellifera. Further, he introduced an inexpensive system for breeding Apis cerana. 3. Dr. Chen Yanping (United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, USA), a specialist in insect viruses, summarized the viral diseases of Apis mellifera. In particular, she talked about the infection routes of these diseases based on her own empirical data. She also reported on the current state of research into the causes of CCD, a disorder which is currently affecting the US. 4. Dr. Mikio Yoshiyama (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, SCJ, Japan) reviewed the innate immunity system of honeybees. In particular, he talked in detail about immune mechanisms and bacterial infections. 5. Prof. Tan Ken (Yunnan Agricultural University, China) used two examples to talk about differences between Apis cerana and Apis mellifera. The first distinction is that the sensitivity of the two species to the pheromone secreted by a queen is dramatically

56

different. The other distinction concerns the variation in the defensive behavior toward hornets, a natural enemy of the honeybee. These differences between the species can be seen in various traits, and Tan confirmed the need to properly put this information into database form. 6. Dr. Chanpen Chanchao (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand) summarized apicultural produce such as honey, royal jelly, propolis and bee venoms. She emphasized that the constituents of these products vary greatly among honeybee species. Conclusion Apiculture is by no means large among agricultural industries. However, it is an industry that has the potential to generate significant profits without massive investments of land or capital. On the other hand, for poor people, it is an industry that allows them to earn a valuable secondary income with almost no initial investment. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, honeybees have an extremely important part to play as pollinators in ecosystems. We believe that this joint project will aid in the further development of these kinds of honeybee industries in Asia. Moreover, there are many countries that are not equipped to conduct genetic research. Our hope is that by implementing this joint project, it will help in gaining further financial support.

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Special Session

59

Pop Culture in Asia - Comparison of Film Culture -

61

SCA Special Session － Pop Culture in Asia－

Shozo Fujii, Professor, The University of Tokyo, Member of the Science Council of Japan

“Comparison of Film Culture”: An unprecedented trial in cultural studies

Eight years have passed since the Science Council of Asia (SCA) was established at the

proposal of the Science Council of Japan for the promotion of collaborative academic research in

Asia. Ever since the First Conference in Thailand in 2001, conferences have been held every year

with member countries taking it in turn to host them. Last year’s conference was held in Japan, this

year in China, and next year’s Ninth Conference will be held in Singapore.

At previous conferences, joint project workshops have been conducted on such topics as water,

gender, ocean security, natural disasters and honeybees. At this Eighth Conference, a workshop

entitled “Pop Culture in Asia - Comparison of Film Culture” (hereinafter “Comparison of Film

Culture”) was held as a special session. If we exclude the “gender” workshop, this has been the first

trial workshop in cultural studies.

In Asia at present, a diverse range of pop culture from different countries has become incredibly

popular beyond their respective national boundaries, including Indian films, Korean television

dramas, Chinese martial arts (great swordsmen) novels and Japanese anime. This has played an

important role in fellow Asians understanding each other. This kind of emotional interaction

between Asians would be an important research topic for the SCA. Based on this belief I planned a

new workshop with the support of Section I of SCJ and with the understanding of the

Subcommittee on SCA in SCJ.

Due to budgetary constraints, the subject of the research was narrowed down to films, and

restricted to the three host countries of last year’s, this year’s and next year’s SCA Conferences. A

researcher from Korea with a strong interest in films produced in each of these three countries

kindly assumed the role of commentator.

Then, with the cooperation of Dr. Mamie Misawa (Nihon University, SCJ, Japan), who wields a

ready pen in writing film reviews under the pseudonym “Konayuki Mamire” as a leading Japanese

researcher on the history of films produced in Chinese-speaking countries, the following workshop

was planned and implemented for the Eighth SCA Conference.

Chairperson: Dr. Mamie Misawa

Presenters and titles

(a) Mr. Wang Zhongyi (Chief Editor, “People China,” Beijing, China)

“Japanese films in China”

(b) Dr. Uganda Kwan (Assistant Professor, Division of Chinese, Nanyang Technological

University, Singapore)

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“Chinese films in Singapore”

(c)Prof. Shozo Fujii (The University of Tokyo, SCJ, Japan)

“Singaporean films in Japan”

Commentator:

Dr. Kim Yangsu (Associate Professor, Dongguk University, Republic of Korea)

(The report and paper are in Chinese, and the discussion is in Chinese and English.)

Mr. Wang is a leading Chinese researcher on Japanese films. Drawing from his own

experiences from his boyhood days, Mr. Wang traced the history of the reception of Japanese films

in the People’s Republic of China from both a production aspect and a social aspect. He then

analyzed the changes of the image of Japanese people in Chinese films, before concluding with a

talk on the trend of Chinese-Japanese coproduced films. However, the paper was read by the

chairperson, as Mr. Wang had put off participating at the conference in Qingdao in order to lead a

special media service on the Great Sichuan Earthquake as the chief editor of People China.

Dr. Kwan raised the issue of using the concept of nation in the categorization of films. She

suggested that Singaporean films cannot be discussed without touching on their relationship with

Hong Kong films, and she discussed the connection between the search for identity and the

orientation towards internationalization for both.

Professor Fujii first talked about the reproduction process of Singaporean films during the

1990s, before reporting on the energetic style of directors Eric Khoo and Jack Neo in the Japanese

media and at film festivals. While referring to the “family issues” in Singaporean novels, Professor

Fujii considered the point that, in Singapore, where one-party control has continued for more than

40 years since its independence in 1965, movies have portrayed ailing families as a metaphor for

the state.

Dr. Kim raised questions from the Korean perspective with regard to the three presentations,

namely the report by a China researcher on the acceptance of Japanese films in China, the report by

a Singaporean researcher on the acceptance of Chinese and Hong Kong films in Singapore, and the

report by a Japanese researcher on the acceptance of Singaporean films in Japan.

Finally Dr. Misawa summarized, stating: “The three reports have depicted a China → Singapore →

Japan → China circle of border-crossing and acceptance of films. This has painted us an

exceptionally concrete image of the long historical background to the reciprocal traffic of popular

culture in Asia, and of just how profoundly each other’s societies have been influenced … More

in-depth discussions are needed on ‘Pop Culture in Asia’ as a truly contemporary issue.”

Desire for the Special Session to be continued at the next conference

As I have also indicated in the annex to this issue, “Impressions of the Eighth Science Council

of Asia Conference,” it had been planned that 20 Chinese literature and Japanese language graduate

64

students from the local Ocean University of Qingdao would participate in this “Comparison of Film

Culture” workshop, but instead, we were compelled to cancel their participation on account of the

excessive security by the Qingdao Municipal People’s Government.

Even so, Dr. Kwan expressed an extremely strong enthusiasm for this workshop to be continued

at the Ninth Conference in Singapore next year, and proposed a workshop or symposium at which

local students and residents could participate, based on a joint project with two local universities,

the Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore. All participants at

this workshop (excluding Dr. Kim, Dr. Kwan, Dr. Misawa and Professor Fujii, there were two

general participants who remained until the end of the workshop, the SCA members from Korea

and Singapore) strongly approved this proposal, and the Special Session was closed.

65

First Strategic Plan of SCA

67

First Strategic Plan of the Science Council of Asia (From the End of the 2008 Conference until the 2011 Conference)

30th MAY 2008

Based on the Seventh Science Council of Asia Conference’s Joint Statement, The Future of the SCA (hereafter “Future of the SCA”), the SCA shall establish a strategic plan for the SCA activity, as described below, for the three years from the end of the 2008 Conference until the 2011 Conference (hereafter “Duration of the First Strategic Plan”) to more effectively achieve the purposes in I below. I Objectives of the SCA (according to 2. of the Statutes of the Science Council of Asia) 1 To provide scientists in all fields, including cultural and social as well as natural

sciences and technology, a collaborative platform for promoting scientific exchange and cooperation in Asia for the improvement of human society.

2 To develop and promote a holistic vision by integrating the emerging advances in science and technology with Asian wisdom, values and heritage, focusing on sustainable development and improvement in quality of life.

II Initiatives to Date Following the First Conference of the Science Council of Asia, held in Bangkok,

Thailand in 2001 under the theme of “Urgent Agenda for Asian Sustainability through Science and Technology,” there have been a total of eight conferences up to the conference in May 2008 in Qingdao, China on the theme of “Sustainable Development on Marine Resources and Environment.” In line with the objectives in the aforementioned I, beneficial discussion and recommendations from a scientific standpoint have been offered on various important issues encompassing Asia. In addition, member organizations have collaborated to launch a large number of joint research projects.

Among them, “Sustainability Science in Asia” issued its final report in June 2005. The projects “A Comparative Study of the Research Conditions of Women Scientists and the Present States of Women’s/Gender Studies’ in Asian Countries Towards the Sustainable Development,” as well as “Recommendation for International Collaboration on Natural Hazard Reduction” each issued interim reports in March 2006. These reports presented highly useful recommendations not only for member organizations, but also for Asia and in turn, the world.

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At the Seventh Conference held in Okinawa, Japan in June 2007, two joint statements were adopted on the themes of “Energy and Environment” and “The Future of the SCA.” As part of the “Concrete Action for the Future of the SCA,” the latter states, “We adopt a three-year strategic plan for the SCA activity and aim to resolve at the Eighth Conference in China next year.”

III Principles of Activity for the Duration of the First Strategic Plan During the Duration of the First Strategic Plan and based on the initiatives

undertaken to date in the aforementioned II, the SCA fully recognizes the increasing gravity of a variety of major issues that encompass our world today, including climate change, energy, poverty and infectious diseases. We shall actively develop our activities in order to fulfill our role as an international scientific society representing Asia, selecting for targeted examination pressing issues in Asia that are closely connected to these global issues and offering befitting intellectual integration as well as intellectual recommendations.

IV Main Activities for the Duration of the First Strategic Plan Based on I to III above, the main activities of the SCA for the Duration of the First

Strategic Plan shall be as follows. 1 Holding of conferences and other meetings, etc.

(1) Conferences shall be held in Singapore in 2009, in the Philippines in 2010, and in Mongolia in 2011. (2) At each conference, the host country shall take the lead in striving for adoption of a joint statement of the SCA based on the theme of the conference.

2 Further Promotion of Joint Research Projects (1) Based on “The Future of the SCA,” we shall continue to actively launch new

joint research projects on themes that are urgent issues in Asian countries, namely energy, climate change, innovation, information, agriculture, food, natural disasters, biodiversity, and the functional enhancement of member organizations in Asia. The Management Board shall lead selection of new joint research projects, with one or two themes adopted annually by a resolution of the General Assembly based on “The Future of the SCA.” Reports shall be provided to persons affiliated with governments and academia, the media and other relevant parties of each country.

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(2) Based on “The Future of the SCA,” new joint research projects in (1) above shall make reports every two years to the General Assembly, and other ongoing projects shall in principle make reports annually to the General Assembly.

(3) In principle, new joint research projects in (1) above as well as ongoing research projects in (2) above shall submit a final report and conclude the project within three years of the project launch.

3 Recommendations on Activity Results to Policy Decision Makers in Each Country Member organizations shall endeavor to make appropriate reports and

recommendations on SCA results during the Duration of the First Strategic Plan to the policy decision makers of each country.

4 Examination of New SCA Framework The 2011 Conference will mark the 11th Conference since the inception of the

SCA. Each member country will have hosted one Conference and the Duration of the First Strategic Plan will come to a close, representing a juncture for the current organization and its governance as per its financial foundation and other matters. Following the 2011 Conference, however, expectations of the SCA and its role will only grow. To satisfactorily meet these expectations as an international scientific organization representing Asia, reinforcement and reform of our organization and framework, including our financial foundation will be essential. Therefore, we shall begin examination of the new framework necessary for the SCA to achieve further development. We shall reach an agreement at the 2011 Conference, if possible. In order to conduct this examination, the SCA shall establish the “New Framework Examination Committee” (tentative name) in 2008 under the Management Board, according to 9. (1) of the Statutes of the SCA. Furthermore, this committee shall also examine ways to use economic assistance from public and private institutions, based on “The Future of the SCA.”

5 Enhanced International Collaboration

The SCA shall strive to establish various cooperative frameworks with other international organizations, including the ICSU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

6 Review of the First Strategic Plan

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Results of the First Strategic Plan shall be announced at the 2010 Conference and the status of progress and other issues shall be discussed.

V Division of Roles for the Duration of the First Strategic Plan For the SCA to efficiently and effectively conduct the activities listed in IV above,

each organization shall sufficiently fulfill the roles described below in coordination with the Secretariat.

1 Roles of the Chairing Country (Host country of the next conference) Take responsibility in preparing appropriate theme proposals, program proposals

and statement proposals for the conference.

2 Roles of the Committee under the Managing Board The New Framework Examination Committee shall compile its examination

results before the end of 2009. The committee shall submit a report to the Management Board. The committee shall also take responsibility in collecting the relevant information and ensuring its provision to member organizations.

3 Roles of the Management Board The Management Board shall receive report from the committee on their

examination results mentioned in 2 above and promptly create a Management Board proposal. The Management Board shall submit a resolution at the 2010 Conference for the new framework and aim to reach a determination on these resolutions at the 2011 Conference.

4 Roles of Member Organizations Other than 1-3 Above

Member organizations other than those included in 1-3 above shall reconfirm the objectives of the SCA and actively undertake activities positively based on the First Strategic Plan.

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The Eighth Annual Report

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The Eighth Annual Report from the SCA (Science Council of Asia) Management Board

May 28, 2008

According to Item 3 of Article 8 of the SCA Statutes, the Management Board submits an annual report on SCA. This eighth Annual Report covers the period between June 14, 2007 (opening day of the 7th SCA Conference in Okinawa) and May 26, 2008. 1. The outlines of the 7th SCA Conference were as follows; 1) Date/Venue: June 14-16, 2007, Okinawa Convention Center, Okinawa, Japan

Organized by: Science Council of Japan (SCJ) * The SCA/PSA Joint Symposium was organized by the Science

Council of Asia (SCA), the Pacific Science Association (PSA) and the Japan Science and Technology (JST) on June 16, 2007.

Main theme: “Energy and Environment” Participants: About 550 participants including the General Assembly of SCA,

Work shops of the SCA Joint Project and the SCA/PSA Joint Symposium from 9 member countries (India and Mongolia were absent) and 5 major international, regional and national scientific organizations as observers

2) On June 14, at General Assembly I, three new SCA Joint Projects listed below

were proposed and approved. i “Genomics-based Comparative Analyses of Gene Expression of Wild Asian

Honeybees for Improving European Domestic Honeybees” proposed by Dr. Kiyoshi Kimura, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Japan

ii “Space and Lithosphere Environment changes for Asia” Proposed by Prof. Kiyofumi Yumoto, Kyushu University, Japan

iii “Institutional Design of Global Information Commons for Asia” proposed by Prof. Shuichi Iwata, The University of Tokyo, Japan

3) On June 14, at General Assembly I, Prof. Mazlin Bin Mokhtar from the Institute

for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Malaysia, gave a presentation of

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currently progress on “Sustainability Science for Sustainability Governance: A Study on Science – Governance Symbioses.”

4) On June 15, four SCA Joint Project Workshops were held as follows;

i A Comparative Study of the Research Conditions of Women Scientists, Gender Issues in S & T, and the Present Conditions of Women’s/Gender Studies in Asian Countries Towards the Human Centered Sustainable Development

ii Management of Sustainable Aquatic Environment iii Natural Disasters iv Security of Ocean in Asia

5) On June 15, the 7th SCA Conference Joint Statements on “Energy and Environment” and “the Future of the SCA” were unanimously adopted.

6) On June 16, the SCA/PSA Joint Symposium was held under the theme “Energy and Environment.” At the Opening Ceremony of SCA/PSA Joint Symposium, special address was delivered by His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino.

Following the special address, two keynote speeches were given by Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes (IPCC) – “The Challenge of Climate Change : Dealing with Energy and Environment Policy”, and Prof. Leo Tan, President of the Singapore National Academy of Science – “The environment: A global snapshot of some issue with perspectives from Singapore”.

Following the keynote speeches, three panel discussion sessions were held as follows;

i Panel Discussion Session A: on “Energy and Environment”

ii Panel Discussion Session B: on “Education and Environment”

iii Panel Discussion Session C: on “Water Resources”

2. Activities after the 7th SCA Conference were as follows;

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1) On behalf of Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, the former President of the SCJ and the member of Committee of Peers for RCEs, Dr. Fumiko Kasuga, a member of the SCJ attended the Ubuntu Committee of Peers for RCEs on August 6, 2007. She also attended the International RCE Conference 2007 on August 7, 2007. Both were held in Penang, Malaysia.

2) In January 2008, Prof. Yoichi Muraoka, a member of the SCJ, Secretary General /

Treasurer of the SCA has succeeded Dr. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, the former President of SCJ as a member of Ubuntu Committee of Peers for RCEs.

3) In March 2008, the Proceedings of the 7th SCA Conference were printed and distributed to the SCA member organizations. 4) In March 2008, two reports on Gender Workshops were printed.

i SCA Joint Project Workshop (Gender): A Comparative Study of the Research Conditions of Women Scientists, Gender Issues in S & T, and the present Conditions of Women’s/Gender Studies in Asian Countries towards Human Centered Sustainable Development – Focused on Gender and Sustainable Development – April 17, 2006, New Delhi, India

ii SCA Joint Project Workshop (Gender): A Comparative Study of the Research Conditions of Women Scientists, Gender Issues in S & T, and the present Conditions of Women’s/Gender Studies in Asian Countries towards Human Centered Sustainable Development – Focused on Academic Pursuit and Family Life – June 15, 2007, Okinawa, Japan

5) Preparatory meetings for the 8th SCA Conference were held as follows;

i Preparatory meeting on “Natural Disasters” were held on January 22-24, 2008, in Phuket, Thailand, in cooperation with the International Symposium on the Restoration Program from Giant Earthquakes and Tsunamis.

8 participants from 4 countries (India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia) attended the meeting.

ii Preparatory meeting on “Space Lithosphere Environment” were held on

February 29 and March 1, 2008, in Sagamihara, Japan, in cooperation with “International Workshop on Seismo - Electromagnetic Observation Satellite”

60 participants from 10 countries (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Russia, Ukraine, U. S.A.) attended the meeting.

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iii Preparatory meeting on “Sustainable Water Resources Management in Asia”

were held on March 10-11, 2008, in Bangkok, Thailand, in cooperation with “Asia Science and Technology Seminar in Thailand”

10 participants from 10 countries (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand) attended the meeting.

6) The Management Board decided to endorse international symposiums as follows;

i “International Workshop on Seismo-Electromagnetic Phenomena: Recent Progress” hosted by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) , November 6-7, 2007, Bandung, Indonesia

ii “International Symposium on the Restoration Program from Giant Earthquakes and Tsunamis” hosted by Earthquake Research Institute, the University of Tokyo, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Disaster Prevention Research Forum and Japan Society for the Promotion Science), January 22-24, 2008, Phuket, Thailand

iii “Asia Science and Technology Seminar in Thailand” hosted by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), March 10-11, 2008, Bangkok, Thailand

7) The joint-statement for “Development”, through the suggestive discussions in

the G8+5 Academies’ Meeting in Tokyo, was completed in April by the inter-academic organizations concerning to the issues. Prof. Feng Changgen, as the President of SCA, put his signature on the joint-statement, with the cosignatories of NASAC (the Network of African Science Academies) and IANAS (the InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences). The statement is to be distributed to the TICAD IV (The Forth Tokyo International Conference on African Development) and other relevant opportunities.

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Joint Statement to the G8 on

Global Development

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Joint statement by the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) and the Science Council of Asia (SCA) to the G8 on the role of science, technology and innovation in promoting global development.

Recent global economic growth has been placed at risk by turbulence in financial markets. Yet, between 1998 and 2007, global gross domestic product (GDP) more than doubled. Between 2004 and 2007, it increased at an annual rate of nearly 4 percent. Moreover, for one of the few times in history, economic growth in the developing world exceeded economic growth in the developed world.

Sub-Saharan Africa, the world’s poorest region, has actively participated in and benefited from these recent trends. Between 2000 and 2003, sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP rose 3.7 percent annually. Between 2004 and 2006, the region’s annual growth in GDP accelerated to 5.6 percent a year, and in 2007 GDP growth reached 6 percent. This represents the most sustained period of economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa in more than three decades.

This good news nevertheless does not hide the troubling news coming out of Africa. More than 40 percent of Africans live in extreme poverty. More than 70 percent live on less than US$2 a day. Some 26 million Africans are infected with HIV, and an estimated 2.5 million die of AIDS each year. More than 40 percent of Africans do not have access to safe drinking water. More than 70 percent do not have access to electricity. According to recent assessments made by the United Nations, no country in Africa is likely to meet all of the eight MDGs by the 2015 target date, and many African countries are unlikely to meet any of the MDGs by this time.

Differences in social and economic well-being between the least developed countries (LDCs) – most notably in Africa – and the rest of the world not only persist but also threaten to become larger. This growing disparity between rich and poor manifests itself in a variety of ways: between countries, within countries, by gender, and among workers.

The disparities are due partly to historical circumstances and partly to misguided economic policies that have resulted in weak institutions and rendered a large number of less privileged countries unattractive places for investment. But the disparities are also due to another factor: massive differences in the ability to generate, master and utilize science, technology and innovation.

One of the most critical issues that the global community faces is to continue to foster GDP growth and, at the same time, to make growth and human welfare more equitable. Building broad-based capacity in science, technology and innovation is fundamental to addressing these issues.

On the occasion of the G8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan, 7–9 July 2008, we, the members of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) and the Science Council of Asia (SCA), submit the following statement to the leaders of the G8+5 countries on the role of science, technology and innovation in promoting global development, fostering human welfare and reducing global poverty as called for in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

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We therefore call upon the G8+5 countries to partner with developing countries to achieve our common goals of poverty reduction and wealth creation by fostering international collaboration in science, technology and innovation. Specifically, we propose devising a 10-year action plan that would lay the groundwork for sustainable and equitable global economic growth. We are proposing that the plan, devised in consultation with experts largely drawn from academies of science, focus on the following critical issues:

The Network of African Science Academies (NASAC), located in Nairobi, Kenya, is comprised of 13 merit-based science academies in Africa.

The InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS), located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, consists of 14 merit-based science academies in the Americas.

The Science Council of Asia (SCA), located in Tokyo, Japan, is comprised of 19 scientific organizations in Asia. Each network dedicated to promoting science-based sustainable development.

Promoting quality education for all. There is no better way to foster equality of economic opportunity than to provide all citizens with an excellent education. Education nurtures the skills required for independent analysis and decision-making. Scientific education, moreover, should be a life-long endeavour. We therefore urge increased support for interactive science centres and laboratories to help make the world of science more accessible to both children and adults, especially in developing countries.

Building sustainable capacity in science, technology and innovation. It is essential for each country to develop a critical mass of interdisciplinary problem-solving scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs who possess both scientific expertise and an appreciation of societal and developmental problems. This will require the establishment of world-class research universities capable of attracting the brightest students and setting global standards of excellence for the entire university system. We are requesting G8+5 countries to help fund the establishment of international research centres of excellence in developing countries staffed by local scientists who can collaborate as full partners in projects to be jointly executed by the international scientific community.

Adapting existing technologies to meet critical local social and economic needs, and investing in new technologies to address real-life problems. The pathway to development followed by Brazil, China, India and other emerging economies has focused on developing a well-educated workforce capable of mastering existing technologies and adapting these technologies to meet the critical social and economic challenges faced by their societies. This is a pathway to development that should be followed by other developing countries. There is also a need to increase national and international investments in cutting-edge science and technologies, especially technologies that can stimulate economic growth. These technologies include information and communication technologies, biotechnologies, environmental technologies and nanotechnologies.

Making science, technology and innovation integral parts of national development plans, and devising programmes to foster closer ties between the natural and social sciences and the public and private sectors. Scientific communities in developing countries, and especially in LDCs, have too often

functioned in a vacuum separated from their societies. Special efforts should be made to design national research plans that are relevant to national needs and contribute to economic growth. These plans should promote interdisciplinary research and engage the private sector to work closely with government and universities .

Promoting the role of science academies. Academies of science have played a critical role in global development, especially in providing independent expert advice to governments concerning science-related issues. These institutions should continue to become actively engaged in national and global initiatives for sustainable development. It is essential that national governments give science academies the resources and independence that they need to play this vital role. To ensure that science, technology and innovation become an integral part of each country’s strategy for sustainable growth, science academies must participate in the design and implementation of national development plans.

Over the past quarter century, we have moved from a world believed to have an unlimited bounty of resources to one where we must confront the reality of limited resources. Experts agree that people living in arid regions will have to compete for limited supplies of safe drinking water, and that current oil supplies (at least at affordable prices) may be exhausted by mid-century. Moreover, the spectre of global warming, largely generated by the burning of fossil fuels, may pose the greatest environmental challenge in the history of humankind.

Another critical issue facing the global community is how to foster policies that result in the sustainable use of natural resources, on which long-term social and economic well-being depends.

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First Announcement of the 9th SCA Conference

in Singapore

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Welcome to Singapore!9th Science Council of Asia ConferenceWednesday 17th to Friday 19th June 2009

Jointly organized by:

Proposed Theme for 9th SCA Conference“Grooming Scientific Talent in Asia”• Science is international. People are

brought closer through ease of communicate enabled by technology. Information is free-flowing as cities are modernized and societies become cosmopolitan. Talent is becoming international as people becomes mobile and crosses borders frequently.

• Asia faces the challenge to groom and keep its best talent. At the same time, we want to make Asia the best place to be for Science, Technology and Research. We want to attract the best from the world to come to Asia, the fastest growing region.

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• Singapore is a fine model on how its people is developed to its fullest. The country provides world-class infrastructure such as telecommunication networks . A fifth of Singapore’s population are expatriates and migrant workers, being employed by one of the 7000+ multi-national companies on the island nation.

Proposed Theme for 9th SCA Conference“Grooming Scientific Talent in Asia”

• The Conference may review strategies adopted by Asian countries to groom, attract and retain talent. Participants will discuss the challenges faced by each economies in educating and developing the next generation of S&T talent, at the same time, increasing the interaction and collaboration between Asian countries.

Mon 16 June 09Arrival of Delegates & Registration

Tuesday 17 June 09Opening Ceremony

(Tentative GOH – Chairman A*STAR Mr Lim Chuan Poh)Management Board Meeting I / General Assembly I

Reception hosted by A*STAR

Wednesday 18 June 09SCA Joint Workshop / Special Sessions

Reception hosted by SCA

Thursday 19 June 09Management Board Meeting II

General Assembly IIClosing Ceremony

9th SCA Conference - Singapore 17-19 June 2009 Proposed Programme

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Meetings Venues:

BiopolisThe Biomedical Hub of Asia

9th SCA Conference - Singapore 17-19 June 2009 Conference Venues

Proposed Accommodations:

Swissotel

TuasBiomedical Park

Seaport &Container Terminals

National University Hospital

ChangiInt’l

Airport

TuasCheckpoint

City Centre

The SummitJTC HQ

WoodlandsCheckpoint

Jurong Island

InternationalBusiness Park

ChangiBusiness Park

one-northone-north

LoyangInd. Park

9th SCA Conference - Singapore 17-19 June 2009 Locations of Conference Venues

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See you in Singapore!9th Science Council of Asia ConferenceTuesday 17th to Thursday 19th June 2009

Contact: [email protected][email protected]

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